Dr Gatti's Blog a Lawrence Dentist Reflections

We often receive comments such as this. These comments mean a lot to us and we thought we would share it today.

Dear Team Gatti,

I must admit that every time I see my smile I am so glad that I had you work on getting it so pretty. Thank you.

Regina

I have just returned from the 19th Annual meeting of the American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine and it was fantastic! This was my fifth time in attendance and it still amazes me how much new information I gain as well as reconfirming much of what we are already doing. Again, a number of references were made tying in the prevalence of nocturnal bruxism and obstructive sleep apnea. This is something we have paid particular attention to over the last year and it has changed our protocol on night time appliances. A new area that I found very compelling is the possible link between snoring and plaque build up in the carotid arteries. The link between heavy snoring, obstructive sleep apnea and stroke is something that is at the forefront of my concern when I am dealing with our clients. Over the next weeks and months I will share more of the information I gained at this meeting, however I wanted to at least touch base with all of you about some of the highlights. I look forward to seeing you soon.

In today’s world dental implants are no longer considered exotic or experimental treatment. The fact of the matter is that they are now a routine part of dental treatment. If a tooth is lost there are many options available. There are many reasons to consider a dental implant as the first choice. To begin with, an implant will help preserve the bone structure. When a natural tooth is removed, the bone surrounding the area remodels and collapses. An implant will prevent this collapse from occurring. Secondly, if an implant is placed there is no need to alter the natural teeth on either side of the extraction site. Additionally, the final result can be highly functional and appear completely natural.

Often times the ideal time to place an implant is at the same time as the removal of the natural tooth. Depending on the circumstances, it may be that several months will need to pass before the placement of the implant. There are a number of different scenarios that can occur so, it at all possible, it is best to have a plan in mind prior to the removal of a hopeless tooth.

A dental implant can be utilized for the replacement of one tooth or multiple teeth. Additionally, implants have become the treatment of choice to help retain full dentures, particularly lower dentures. In the past, successfully wearing a lower denture was highly unpredictable and long term functional stability was questionable at best. With the placement of two to four implants we can now make it so a lower denture literally snaps into place. This eliminates the denture from slipping or coming out in unintended situations. The long term comfort and predictability can be a real gift for denture patients. We recently completed a case for a woman who was unable to retain her lower denture due to very little bone structure. I received a wonderful note thanking us for making it possible for her to comfortably eat a meal for the first time in over five years. Talk about life altering –  it was truly a wonderful experience for all of us that were involved.

We look forward to discussing the possibility of a dental implant for you, a friend or a family member in the future if the need arises.